Samara's Story
by Maiden of the Silver Fires
Summary: Samara is thrust into the world of Demons and Fey creatures. Will she survive her transformation, or will she be lost, as so many others have, to the realm of darkness and shadows? R&R please! This is my first story and it's for Matty and Caree Jo!
1. Chapter 1

Samara's heart beat fast as her bare feet pounded down the dirt road. Her breath came in ragged gasps. She glanced back at the road behind her only to see the faces of her pursuers inches from her own. Sweat dripped down in her eyes, and clung to her clammy skin. Small sobs of terror bubbled up from her throat, though she wasn't aware of it. Samara's white dress billowed around her legs, the edges dusty from the dirt she kicked up. She drew further ahead of her pursuers and wheeled around to face them, taking them by surprise.

The beast-men that had been chasing her licked their sharp, pointed fangs in anticipation of her death… Their master had ordered them to bring her back alive, but they could just say that she resisted them and there was no other choice… They didn't hunger for her flesh, but for her blood. Human blood was good. Better than animal blood for sure. But this human wasn't like others. She had the power-marks on her arms. A small twinge of pity for the girl ran through the Alpha wolf. She probably didn't realize why she had the marks or even why they chased her. The pity was washed away in a surge of desire when the Alpha smelled the fresh blood welling up from the many small cuts, made by the gravel, on Samara's feet.

Though Samara wasn't skilled in her new found powers, she'd only gotten them that morning, she hoped that she could use them to ward off the Werewolves. She raised her hand, palm down, and splayed her fingers just so, so that each finger pointed at an individual Werewolf. Calling the power of the tattoos that had shown up on her pale, ivory-and-rose colored skin like dark bruises in the night, she drew her fingers together sharply and clenched her fist. Instantly, her foes exploded in a crimson mist. Scraps of fur and cloth floated on the cool autumn breeze. Shock and horror at what she'd done blossomed in Samara's heart and mind. She looked at her shaking hands, afraid to move them even the slightest bit. Samara now knew for sure that she was indeed what she had once feared most… She was a _demon_… Blood roared in Samara's ears and the world spun away as she fell to the hard packed earth.

Samara woke to the soothing sound of someone humming quietly, under their breath. She listened for a little while and was shocked to realize that it was the same song her mother had sung to her as a small child. "Mama?" Samara whispered, her voice cracked and rough sounding.

"Shhhh honey, don't speak. You've been through a tough time." came a soft voice from somewhere beside Samara's head. For some reason, it reminded her of lavender.

"Huh? You're not Mama…" Samara said, her brain fuzzy from sleep. A throaty laugh came from the same spot as the voice.

"No, I suppose not… Come now, sit up darling. You've got to get something to drink…"

"Where am I? Who are you? What happened to me? Why can't I see anything?" Samara asked as something warm and hard was put into her hands.

"My house. Anna Lee. You used too much Manna and passed out from extreme exhaustion. When you became drained your body began shutting itself down, and your sight just happened to be the first thing to go after you passed out… But don't worry deary, it will come back after you rest for a few more hours…." Anna said reassuringly.

"Oh… Thank you…" Samara said, and noticed that she was beginning to see light, the blackness had turned into a dark gray mist over everything, as slowly her sight came back. Samara brought what was undoubtedly a mug of the whatever it was that Anna had given her to drink up to her lips and took a long drink of the steaming liquid. She sighed heavily as the drink did it's work and calmed her dry, achy throat. Immediately there was a rush of color, like the sudden blooming of a flower, as her sight completely returned to her. Samara blinked away the tears that had come to her eyes at the sudden flood color.

"You're welcome darling." came Anna's feathery voice. Samara turned her dark blonde head so she could see Anna. What met her eyes disturbed Samara greatly. Smiling down at her was a beautiful young woman with long silver hair and bright, merry, blue eyes. That wasn't what disturbed Samara though… It was the ebony tattoos that spiraled and twisted across Anna's face that scared her so. Anna was a demon too.

"W-Why did you bring me here?" Samara choked out, her voice strained with fear. Anna's face instantly turned into a concerned frown.

"Why!? Because you were going to die out in the cold night air and from your exhaustion if I hadn't!" Anna exclaimed, clearly hurt that Samara would think she would take her in just to hurt her. Samara instantly regretted her fear, but could not repress it completely.

"I'm sorry… How terribly rude of me… Thank you for all that you've done…" Samara murmured quietly. Anna took the mug from her hands and patted her arm reassuringly.

"No no. It's quite alright. I sometimes forget that we demons are, well, demonized… in the human world. Being a Newborn, you must still be afraid of your own kind…" Anna said in a voice that sounded like she was smiling.

"Newborn? But I'm almost 15! There's no way that I'm a Newborn!" Samara said indignantly.

"Silly child, Newborn refers to you being a new member of the demon race, not that you were just birthed." Anna laughed.

"Oh… I see… How old are you then, Anna?" Samara asked curiously, her blue-grey eyes locked on Anna's.

At this, Anna frowned. Her eyes grew sad and the rosy pink left her cheeks. "I don't know the exact year, but let's just say I was born while King Riddian's grandfather was still a twinkle in _his_ father's eye… If that gives you any idea." It did… Samara's eyes widened greatly. Kind King Riddian was a robust man of 65, with fiery red hair (now sprinkled with grey) and shockingly blue eyes. His father before him had been 40 when Riddian was born, and Riddian's grandfather had been 49 when his son was born… In essence, Anna was over one hundred years old…

"I'm still quite young as far as our race goes… Once we hit puberty, it's like our bodies stop aging." Anna looked her over once. "You should stop aging after you get your next growth spurt…. Which will happen shortly if I'm not mistaken. The change quickens our growth, so you will be shooting up like a weed before you know it!" Anna smiled. Samara grinned back for a moment, but her smile faltered.

"But…. Where am I going to stay now? My family… my family won't have a demon in their home…" Samara's eyes fogged up with tears and Anna sat beside her and wrapped a warm, surprisingly strong arm around her shoulders.

"I know it's tough dear, but my house is your house for as long as you need it to be…"

"Thank you Anna… But I couldn't! I just couldn't impose on you anymore! You've… you've done SO much for me already…" Samara sobbed.

"I've done nothing special, little one… And you shouldn't be worrying… Get some more rest…"

"Th-Thank you so much Anna…" Samara coughed into her hand and was shocked to see dark blood staining her palm. Her eyes widened. "ANNA! What's happening!?! I'm coughing blood!"

"Oh dear… You've started to go deeper into the change… You're body's started to remove all traces of your human life…" Anna paused as she saw the fear in Samara's eyes. "But don't worry dear… It's not painful and you don't end up looking much more different, but you do end up with a few more tattoos… While we wait for you to finish this part of the transformation, why don't we go get you a bath?" Samara nodded slowly as she came to her feet. "The hot water can speed up the process too…" Samara began to move just a bit quicker as Anna led her out the back door and to a private hot spring.

Samara slid the soft silken robe, Anna had dressed her in after she had found her, off as she stepped into the steaming water. Anna knelt on the bank behind her, and, as gently as she could, began scrubbing the dirt, grime, and dried blood from Samara's small shoulders, back, and arms. Anna carefully tossed some fragrant herbs into the water so that they would scent the water and scrubbed and brushed Samara's dark brown hair until it was completely straight and hung around her waist. She left Samara so that she could soak and rest her bones in the water.

Samara sighed as she stretched out in the stone basin of the hot spring. Her muscles were in knots and she gently massaged her neck. Samara coughed hoarsely, the bulk of the blood falling into the water. She watched as the crimson droplets spread out in the lavender colored water making gruesome flowers of blood. Her body began to shake and twitch uncontrollably. Samara's eyes rolled back into her head and blood poured from her mouth and eyes.

Anna came running back as Samara's choked screams echoed around her. Gathering the small girl in her arms, Anna ran back to her house. Blood kept pouring from the little girl in her arms. This one was maturing faster than normal, but then again, nothing was ever truly normal with demons. Samara's skin turned completely black and then erupted in a column of light, her screams became higher pitched. Then, as her body bucked upward in Anna's arms, the light died and as it did, so did Samara's screams. There on the pale, blood drenched skin of the small girl were spirals and intricate designs of intertwined ebony tattoos, the likes of which Anna had never seen.

The tiny body collapsed back into her arms. The crimson blood had finally stopped gushing from Samara and Anna gently carried the girl back to the spring. There she gently washed all the blood from Samara. Anna wrapped her in a Sarong and began to rub medicinal herbs and poultices on the new tattoos to keep them from itching or bleeding again.

Samara awoke to see the world in sharper detail. She shook out her hair and was shocked to see it falling all the way down to her knees. It must've grown at least a foot and a half! Samara shrugged it off and stretched her muscles, she didn't notice that the sleeves of the gown she had been wearing the day before (which had hung around her fingertips) were now almost to her elbows, then she sat up and was about to step off the bed when she saw Anna laying on the floor asleep, just beside the bed.

"Anna… Anna? Are you alright?" Samara said as she leaned over the side of the bed and touched the sleeping woman's shoulder. Instantly, Anna bolted upright and was fully alert of her surroundings.

"Oh yes. I'm quite alright. The better question is are _you_ alright?"

"I feel perfectly fine, thanks to you." Samara smiled sleepily, stroking the soft sleeve of Anna's gown. Her sense of touch seemed stronger, just like her eyesight. Anna smiled warmly back at her. "Anna?"

"Yes, doll?"

"Is it normal for all my senses to be better than they used to be?"

"Yes… but it's shouldn't have been so sudden… Oh my…" Anna said as Samara stood up. The bottom hem of the gown, which had been around her ankles, was now just above her knees.

Samara gasped when she saw herself in the mirror across from the bed. She had grown at least a foot and a half and was now tall and gracefully lean. She looked around 18 now and her hair had become wavy and hung around her waist, the ends curled under. She looked beautiful and ethereal. Her already delicate features were defined and her large eyes were thickly framed by her long black eyelashes. Her full lips were in an "o" of surprise and were a pretty rose color, the top one darker than the lower.

Samara smiled at Anna who was looking at her in wonderment. "Why do you stare, Anna?" Samara asked.

"It's just…. You look so much like your mother…" Anna murmured, her eyes brimming with tears.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The world seemed to tilt on it's side. "Y-You knew my Mama?" Samara stuttered. Her voice sounded small and frail, even to her. Anna nodded her head slowly as she wiped away tears.

"Yes… She was a wonderful woman and a very powerful demon." Anna sighed again, her body shuddering. Suddenly Samara plopped onto the bed, the world spinning before her eyes.

"Mama wasn't a demon… She was a courtier of King Riddian's court… We… We lived in the palace… But then Mama died… I was only about 9... Auntie took me in to live and work at the inn…" Samara was lost in her memories of her past. Without being prompted Samara launched into the tale of her short, but strenuous life.

"The inn itself was small but comfortable. My job there was to clean up after the customers and to serve them their drinks… I was always very polite, but still, every day, after the customers had either left or gone to bed, Auntie would take out her switch and swat my back until I bled, she got tired, or I cried…. Whatever came first…. She said that she was beating the evil out of me. I couldn't understand what I did wrong… Auntie wasn't really Mama's sister… Mama had been adopted by Nanny and Pop-pop when she was only an infant… She was gorgeous with her long raven hair and her vibrant violet eyes. Mama was always much kinder than Auntie. Auntie never listened to me or helped me when I was hurt. She never even did special things for me on my birthdays… Her adopted daughter, Maura, was sweet though. She was what made life at the inn bearable. Maura was ALWAYS the one to comfort me when I was upset or sick. I worry about her, alone with Auntie like that. Maura got beaten too, but never as bad as I did. Maura might as well have been my sister because she was really the only family I had left." Anna nodded. She'd met the Maura girl on her trips to the markets. She was a very pretty and so sweet.

Samara continued, "I miss Maura… Auntie was so cruel to us… I can only imagine what Maura's going through…. But then, one day these strange, lovely people came to the inn and asked to see me… Imagine! Me! The forgotten, bastard daughter of a dead courtier of the king's court getting called on by people of this caliber! It was amazing!" Samara hugged herself as a tear escaped her eye. "They told me the time had come to realize my true power… my true destiny. Then…" she shivered, " Then they said something in this awful language I didn't understand and I passed out and when I woke up they were gone and I was on my bed in my night clothes…. Maura was asleep next to me. I had turned over to get more comfortable when I noticed something on my hands…" Samara paused here and stared at her slender hands accusingly, as if she could blame all her troubles on them and cast them away. "They were the Marks of Power…. And that's when I heard their howls splitting the night like a cold knife. The Hunters… They were coming, so I ran… I ran and ran so hard, until I thought my chest would burst and then I faced them…. I got so angry. How dare they attack me! Make me flee my home! How DARE they! I… I just held my hands out, palms flat towards the earth and clenched them together and they… just… exploded… Before I knew what was happening I passed out and woke up here…" Samara finished with a sigh. It was a sad and odd tale, her life.

"I hate to tell you Samara, dearest, but your mother was indeed a demon…. It goes down from grandmother to mother to daughter and so on. Male demons are rare, so it only stands to reason that Asana was a demon. Besides… You need to know… Asana and I grew up together. She and I were best friends until she became a courtier and even then we still wrote… Please believe me when I tell you that your mother was a demon… She may not have told you, but it is what she was… It's what YOU are, Samara…."

((Sorry it's short guys. I just thought this was a good stopping point for this chapter!))


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